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Puerto Rico Yoga Retreat- Refill Your ☕?‍♀️?

This weekend I had the pleasure to attend my first yoga retreat in Puerto Rico, properly named Refill Your Cup. I’ve been way out of practice the past few years and only attend a morning class with Daniella from Santosa Yoga once a week (and not religiously) so when I heard about the retreat I booked it immediately.

To say the retreat was needed is an understatement. The opportunity to get away from the stresses and challenges of every day life, connect with other like-minded ladies here in Puerto Rico and really focus on self-love and mindfulness is something everyone needs to prioritize- at least a few times a year. Continue reading “Puerto Rico Yoga Retreat- Refill Your ☕?‍♀️?”

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Vacation Plans in Puerto Rico – East Side- Part 2

Now that decisions have been made to visit the east side of Puerto Rico and the Island of Vieques, specific details can be planned on where to stay, eat and do.

My cousins will land Saturday and take a taxi to (our) condo in Condado. Saturday night it will be fun to visit Lote 23 in Santurce- the perfect place for a group of all ages and with different culinary tastes. Lote is an outdoor food park with a vibe like no other. Your options range from delicious tacos to noodle bowls to southern fried chicken, a rare find in Puerto Rico, but the creativity behind this festive experience is makes it a must visit for all.

Sunday (funday) should be always be spent at the beach! Breakfast at Sobao is easiest from our location, but Ocean Park Cafe is also really good. Beach day essentials include: a cooler full of beer & water, beach chairs/towels, sunscreen, and a really good book. (This is pretty much how I spend every single weekend). You can also rent jet skis, take surfing lessons or hop aboard a mini-catamaran from Jimbo’s boats which is free with a good tip 🙂 Continue reading “Vacation Plans in Puerto Rico – East Side- Part 2”

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Vacationing in Puerto Rico in July 2018

There’s nothing I love more than helping friends and family discover the best things to do when visiting Puerto Rico! And just this week I learned my cousin Jordan and his family are making the trip (over dangerous Cancun- thank God) this July (21-28). Jordan’s wife Barbara asked for some recommendations so instead of sending her a six page itinerary I thought it might be easier to see everything from a birds-eye-view on this interactive map.

However, the first thing to decide when visiting Puerto Rico is what part of the island you want to see. The west coast (Isabela, Rincon, Aguadilla and even as far south as Cabo Rojo) are AMAZINGLY beautiful and a totally different vibe than the east. If you surf, fish or a set on some really great snorkeling I would say the 3 hour drive is worth it. Or if you’ve been to Puerto Rico before and are looking for a taste of something different and new. Continue reading “Vacationing in Puerto Rico in July 2018”

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Dearest Mia,

How are you already TWO??? It seems like only yesterday you were hanging out with me in Puerto Rico from inside your mommy’s belly… It was my first time to meet you and I knew right then you’d be my favorite little girl in the whole wide world!

The first time I met you outside of your mommy’s belly you were only a week old and I couldn’t believe how perfect you were! I loved you so much and always wanted to be your favorite auntie! Continue reading “Dearest Mia,”

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After Hurricane Maria – Puerto Rico in Crisis

It’s surreal to read where I left off last week- a week that seems like a year- a clock that is both spinning faster than the storm that hit us and frozen on September 20th- the day we emerged and were hit by a reality far scarier than the one we had just endured. So I’ll to begin there- the beginning of the end…

I’ll need to fill this story in with pieces of information that my mind has not yet totally processed, so please bare with me.

The first thing I remember is us jumping in Broc’s tank (87’ Land Cruiser) and driving the wrong way down oneway streets that were flooded with water and cut off by trees, traffic lights and other undecipherable debris. Every tree that wasn’t uprooted was leafless, as if winter had hit overnight and stripped everything bare. Winter or a nuclear explosion. Our only thought was to get to Palmas Del Mar as soon as we could, as we knew it had taken the first & hardest hit. All of our friends that hadn’t left before the storm were there and no one had heard from them. It was a race we would never finish- a location we would never be able to reach- a garden of eden we will likely never see again.

About 10 minutes out of the city my phone pinged off maybe the one working cell tower on the island and I immediately posted this message on Facebook that I knew my friends and family in the states were praying to see.

“We’re safe. It’s bad”.

I then called Melanie Eiler, Broc’s boss and best friend’s wife who had escaped with her three kids the night before Maria hit.

“Have you heard from Ben?”
“No. No one has heard from anyone” she said, much calmer than I could have managed, but Melanie is amazing like that…
“We’re headed there now- we’re going to find him” Continue reading “After Hurricane Maria – Puerto Rico in Crisis”

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Hurricane Maria Hits Puerto Rico

Today is Thursday, September 21st at 7:15 PM and we’re once again locked inside our master bedroom, this time to avoid both the salty heat pouring through our broken front windows and the wrath of the city of San Juan, which now has a mandatory 6 pm curfew. Nothing feels real anymore and despite the island-wide power outage, the lack of cell service, internet and television is what’s really keeping us in the dark. Somehow the latter is more miserable, even though the nightmare outside our door is as real as anything I’ve ever read or seen on the news. Maybe having a screen between me and the images of such mass destruction makes it easier to process, or maybe I’m still in shock. Either way, I find it difficult to think about what we just went through and will continue to survive over the next several days, months or even years…

I first have to say that Broc has been more than amazing in so many ways- I have no idea what I would be like without him here. He kept us safe, maybe even saved our lives, and was not only so calm and so strong during the storm, he’s been going non-stop ever since it passed. He’s cleaned up massive amounts of debris, traveled across the island to try and locate friends & helped our neighbors carry and secure tattered boards and shutters to the gaping holes where windows once tempted us with a glittering ocean views… Our generator has also been such a blessing for almost a month now and our only source of power and water since Irma teased us with what was to come. It’s crazy to say we were the lucky ones, but for now, at least I have a computer to type this on.

Hurricane Irma really was the start, skirting across northern Puerto Rico on Sept 7th and leaving an already weak island even weaker. While she only knocked down a few trees and flooded a few streets, most of the island was still without power when Maria was announced. Many said that our near miss with Irma was a much needed wake-up call for Puerto Ricans- causing them to be more prepared after seeing the wide-spread destruction she left across the Caribbean and Florida- which ultimately saved hundreds of lives. Or so I’ve heard. With no real news except for the occasional text or tidbit of gossip from neighbors I have no way to know how many people survived Maria. I just know we did. Continue reading “Hurricane Maria Hits Puerto Rico”

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Blowin’ in the Wind

We moved from Arkansas to Puerto Rico almost 2 1/2 years ago, for my husbands job, and it’s been a roller coaster of experiences ever since. Exploring all the gorgeous places on this island really does make it feel like you’re on vacation every weekend. We’ve been everywhere and met so many amazing people- both Puerto Ricans we will forever call close friends and American expats just like us, bonding together in a shared love of our new home along with a deep homesickness that no one talks about but we all feel…

Puerto Rico has as many hardship as it does beauty and liveliness; things that make it sometimes very hard to live here. The language barrier (or it’s probably better described as a cultural barrier bc most people here do speak English) is more of an issue than I ever imagined. There’s just a huge difference between Americans & Puerto Ricans, that’s no better or worse, but something I’m constantly aware of. Then there’s the government corruption, crazy high prices and infrastructure (or lack of) – all things I took for granted in the states and that my type-A, impatient personality doesn’t deal with well. I can’t tell you how much happier I became when we moved to a condo in the city with a generator and a Walgreens within walking distance!
Life. Changing. Continue reading “Blowin’ in the Wind”